time as a currency and (almost) halloween

I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Halloween is next week. The older I get, the faster time passes and it causes an overwhelming jolt of panic throughout my body. There’s so much I want to do, see, accomplish, etc, and not enough time. I know my grandfather didn’t coin this phrase, but he would always tell me “time is the only currency you can never get back”. I guess over the course of this year’s Instagram hiatus, this concept of time and living intentionally is something I’ve tried to learn as I unlearn toxic behaviors of my past and certain narratives I was raised with. I’m not the only one who was previously convinced that our parents can “do no wrong” and that family always knows what is “best”. 

Family, despite their best intentions, does not always have the answers to our individual needs or the insight into what will truly make us happy. Their guidance, while rooted in love and concern, can at times be influenced by their own fears, experiences, or biases. It's essential to listen to our inner voice and make decisions that resonate with our personal journey, even if it means diverging from familial expectations.

I’ve been searching for “family” my whole life- through friendships, relationships, and everything in between. I found family when I became a mother and even though it’s been my daughter and me, a unit of two, throughout her entire life, our bond taught me what it truly means to be a person who loves, supports, listens, and communicates in a reciprocated healthy relationship. Family should feel like home, yes? 

One of things we do together that is non-negotiable in our daily routines is share a meal together (at least one). It doesn’t matter if it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Breaking bread is a timeless ritual that goes beyond the act of eating: it fosters a connection, understanding and unity between two people. And for us, it’s the best part of our day. This morning we made a bowl of English porridge (a recipe from April Bloomfield). We added blueberries, brown sugar and almonds and poured cold milk on top to create a little sea of cream for our toppings to float on. I drank hot black coffee and my daughter drank orange juice and we talked about how Winona Ryder looks like a real life angel in Edward Scissorhands and how mean that red-haired lady is to Edward and how he deserved better. 

Okay, enough for now. In spirit of it being almost Halloween, here is a list of some of my favorite Halloween inspired movies, books, and activities for you to engage in if you desire. 

Halloween movies: (not-so-spooky because I already have enough anxiety)

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Coraline (terrifying, but brilliant)

Frankenweenie

Beetlejuice

Edward Scissorhands

The Addams Family (90s version)

Corpse Bride

Winnie the Pooh Heffalump

Hocus Pocus

Scooby Doo (The old Halloween episodes)

Bewitched (rom com)

Casper

Halloweentown

Harry Potter 

Double Double Toil and Trouble 

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Practical Magic

The Craft

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 

And honestly, nothing beats 90s and early 2000s cartoon halloween tv episodes (Hey Arnold, Fairly Odd Parents, Powerpuff Girls, Kim Possible, Spongebob, etc) 

Halloween inspired books:

Frankenstein (Mary Shelly)

Dracula (Bram Stoker)

Carmilla (J. Sheridan Le Fanu)

A Certain Hunger (Chelsea Summers)

Coraline (Neil Gaiman)

The Haunting of Hill House (Shirley Jackson 

The Witches (Roald Dahl)

Halloween themed activities:

Carving pumpkins

Going to the pumpkin patch

Baking halloween cookies and decorating them

Bake Pillsbury pumpkin or ghost cookies

Making caramel apples

Hosting a mini Halloween inspired soiree with your close friends 

Apple picking

Paint pumpkins

Decorate/ paint autumn colored leaves like ghosts

Explore fall foliage 

Take a walk through Halloween decorated neighborhoods

Solo spooky movie marathon with snacks and wine and a cozy blanky 

Make a Halloween gingerbread house

Home make your Halloween costume 

Okay, bye <3